Perfect
by Moyima
Summary: When a stormtrooper overhears Luke Skywalker's secret just before he escorts the Rebel commander to the Death Star... can he really keep it to himself? This is an LV FatherSon fic.
1. Chapter 1

Perfect

Rating: PG

Author's Note: This story is inspired by a single moment in ROTJ, which is retold in the opening. Luke surrenders and has the "talk" with Vader before he is taken to the Death Star, and two stormtroopers witness part of the discussion; mainly the line "Then my father is truly dead." When Luke delivers this line and steps into the lift with them, one stormtrooper glances at the other. That glance always made me think— what was that stormie thinking? So, years ago, I started writing this story to answer that question, and (of course) I abandoned it. Well, I found it a few weeks ago and decided to finish it. I couldn't remember where I was going with it, so I just took off in a direction that I know I hadn't planned before. You might even be able to tell where I picked it up from the dramatic shift.

The first section is a retelling of a scene from ROTJ with dialogue from the film.

SUPER SPECIAL THANK YOU to DEJA, KITT, and RYAN. You guys saved this fic from a dismal fate.

oOo

CHAPTER ONE

_The durasteel doors slid silently open to reveal a narrow corridor. Two stormtroopers stepped forward, wordlessly moving to flank the prisoner. _

"_The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now," Lord Vader told the other man, almost regretfully._

_The young Rebel nodded slightly, and sadly it seemed. "Then my father is truly dead."_

_With that, he turned and walked into the lift of his own accord, turning to stare Lord Vader down as the doors slid shut again. The stormtroopers flanked him, one threw a look at the other; this was no ordinary rebel._

oOo

Xelar Cometfaller leaned forward and rubbed his eyes as he recalled, once again, the brief interaction that had him so perplexed. His partner had thought nothing of it, but he knew there was something important about the young man they had escorted to Lord Vader's shuttle.

He remembered the words clearly... _Then my father is truly dead_.

Was... was that boy Vader's _son_?

_If that were so_... Xelar shook his head slowly... he couldn't even think it.

He stared at the steel floor of his cell and groaned at his current condition: prisoner of war.

He had no idea how the battle had fared. He sighed just as the cell door slid open.

A rebel guard stepped forward. "Come on," he said gently.

Xelar frowned, _why were the Rebels so_... _nice_?

"Where are you taking me?" Xelar bit back. This is where he would knock the prisoner over the head with his blaster.

"The Council would like to speak with you."

Xelar blinked in shock as he stood. Maybe he could find out which side won from this "Council."

oOo

Xelar walked side-by-side with the guard until they reached an unmarked door, the rebel pressed a button and it slid open. Xelar took a deep breath and stepped through without prompting.

Before him was a round table around which several individuals were seated, looking at him. This was nothing like an Imperial interrogation. He took an additional step forward, studying his audience more closely; many of them were recognizable from bounties. Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Borsk Fey'lya, a few men whose faces were familiar but their names escaped him... except— his eyes landed on one young man and he paused. The man looked tired, sad... yet content, at peace.

Xelar pressed his lips together, his eyes still locked on the blue orbs of the young man.

The princess, at his right, stood to welcome him, "Trooper Cometfaller..." She cut herself off, looking back and forth between the Imperial and the young man.

"I know you..." Xelar said softly, stepping around the table, slowly moving around the group of Rebels until he came to stand directly in front of the young man.

The two stood nose-to-nose for several silent moments, seeming to envelope the other's soul with their eyes.

"You're him..." Xelar breathed.

Another Rebel stood. "Yes, Commander Skywalker is..."

Xelar raised an eyebrow and quirked the corner of his lip. "Yeah. Of course he is."

Skywalker's cheek twitched fractionally as he stepped away from the man whose eyes bore into him. He blinked, and seemed to put together just who this stormtrooper was. His eyes then took on a note of pleading that Xelar had never before seen.

Xelar smirked, he WAS Vader's son... and his Rebel friends had yet to know.

Xelar looked down at the young commander's vacated seat, and smugly seated himself in the vacant place next to it. As Skywalker clumsily retook his seat, Xelar restrained a smile from blossoming on his face; the Son of Vader was putty in his hands— and they both knew it.

Perfect.

oOo

Skywalker nearly had his lip chewed off by the time Xelar had finished describing his duties in service of the Empire to the small council. Xelar smiled as Borsk Fey'lya leaned forward. "Xelar, you have been incredibly helpful, and I thank you; is there any additional information you would like to add?"

Xelar leaned forward to match the Bothan's stance. "My freedom?"

Fey'lya gave the stormtrooper a greasy smile. "We do not wish to enslave; you will be released."

Xelar nodded, glancing to his left at Skywalker who was beginning to pale.

"My last assignment was to escort a Rebel who had surrendered himself to us..."

Gasps sounded throughout the room.

A general unknown to Xelar stood. "Surrendered?"

Xelar nodded.

"Impossible!" another weathered soldier stood.

Xelar smirked and threw a look at the man next to him. "What do you think, Skywalker? Impossible?"

The young man rubbed the bridge of his nose nervously.

The former smuggler, Solo, frowned. "What is he talking about, Luke?"

Luke shook his head and replied a bit too quickly. "I donno."

The princess looked down at the table, guiltily, while General Solo stared at his young friend in confusion.

"Where _were_ you after you left the furry guy village?"

Leia struggled not to roll her eyes at Han's oh-so-diplomatic terminology.

The others sat up straight. "You left the strike team, Commander?" Borsk Fey'lya demanded.

Xelar cleared his throat. "I believe I was retelling my last assignment."

The group settled back into their seats uncomfortably as Xelar resumed.

"When my partner and I came to escort, we found the prisoner at the end of a discussion with Lord Vader. Lord Vader told the prisoner that—"

"I think that's enough, Xelar."

Xelar looked at Luke, who had somehow been able to murmur the comment beneath the notice of the rest of the room. The stormtrooper raised an eyebrow discreetly, a silent question in his eyes. A slight nod from Luke changed his expression from smugness to thoughtfulness.

"Trooper Cometfaller... What did Lord Vader tell the prisoner?" Fey'lya prompted.

Xelar shook his head slowly. "I donno, couldn't hear."

Several faces twisted in confusion, half questions emerged, sighs cast. At Xelar's sudden derailment, Borsk Fey'lya's attention turned back to Luke; he repeated his earlier interrupted question. "Commander Skywalker, you left the strike team?"

Luke pressed his lips together into a thin line; he'd stopped one dam, and by doing so, opened another.

"I..." he swallowed, glancing around the room. His eyes fell onto his sister, who seemed to be a pale shade of blue.

_Breathe, Leia._

He smiled to himself as she exhaled.

"I was endangering the mission," he stated with as much conviction he could gather.

General Madine leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

"During my absence after the Hoth evacuation—"

"Which has yet to be explained."

Luke ignored the comment, knowing he was about to answer part of the inquiry.

"I received some... Jedi training."

Shocked exclamations, denials, and curses followed this revelation.

"So _that_ is why Vader was after you on Bespin."

Luke flinched slightly at the conclusion prematurely grasped by one of the council members.

"Ah... yeah," he lamely lied.

"That _still _doesn't explain why you felt you were endangering the mission," Fey'lya pressed.

"One Force-sensitive can feel the presence of another," Luke explained, his voice low.

The Bothan's eyes widened. "I understand your reasoning, Commander Skywalker. I cannot say I agree with your methods, but I understand."

Luke nodded; a single nod of acceptance.

"Where did you go?"

Luke frowned. "Pardon me?"

"Where did you go after you left the strike team?"

Luke swallowed, struggling not to look at Xelar.

"I... I surrendered," he whispered.

Luke flinched as Han's fist slammed onto the table. "You WHAT?" the growl cut through Luke, horrors of rejection smoldered in his mind.

Borsk Fey'lya coiled his fingers around his hands, maintaining his calm before he spoke. "You are the one Trooper Cometfaller witnessed speaking to Lord Vader?"

Luke nodded slowly, his heart sinking with every moment.

"What happened when you surrendered?"

Luke's face twisted slightly at the question. "I was taken to the Death Star... to Palpatine."

Luke lowered his head as the murmuring once again ensued.

"What of the Emperor and Lord Vader? Did they escape the destruction of the Death Star?" Fey'lya asked evenly, despite the iciness that was building in his eyes.

"Both were dead before I escaped."

After a short silence came the inevitable question: "How?"

Luke folded his hands together on the table, staring at his thumbs. "I'm not yet ready to talk about that."

Borsk Fey'lya nodded, seemingly content to leave the briefing at that: for now.

It was over then.

When the meeting finally adjourned, Xelar was free; and when it was beneath the notice of others, he slipped away with Luke Skywalker.

oOo

"This is your room, huh?" Xelar spun around dramatically admiring Luke's cramped quarters.

"Yeah."

"I would'a thought Vader's son would have better accommodations than this."

Luke answered him with a glare.

Xelar smiled; he watched as Luke packed a few meager possessions.

"Where're we going?"

"WE?" Luke roughly shoved a shirt into his half full bag. "I don't recall inviting _you_ along."

Xelar shrugged, moving towards the door.

"Xelar."

The stormtrooper smiled and turned to face the young man, he held out his hand. "I keep silent— and you and I are... partners."

Luke frowned. "'Partners' is an interesting word for it." He reached out and grasped the other's hand.

Xelar broke out into a leering grin as he flopped onto Luke's small bunk, stretching his legs. "Now, Skywalker, tell me what _really_ happened on the Death Star."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Shall I tuck you in as well?"

Xelar rolled his eyes, propping his head up by cradling his chin on his hands. "Out with it, Skywalker."

Luke looked over Xelar's shoulder, his eyes glazed over in remembrance, after a few moments, he spoke softly. "He... took me to the Emperor."

Xelar smiled lopsidedly at the young Jedi. "Really?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah."

"What happened BEFORE your audience with the Emperor?"

And there it was; Xelar saw a smile creep into Luke's features. A knowing smile.

"We talked a bit more."

"You finished the conversation I overheard in the corridor." Xelar smiled as he reiterated Luke's understatement.

Luke nodded. "You could say that."

"He reconsidered."

Luke's features darkened. "Not exactly."

Xelar shifted to a more comfortable position, throwing a quizzical look at Luke.

"We... struck a compromise, you might say."

Xelar's eyebrows rose in interest. "Vader? Compromise? Are you serious?"

Luke smiled weakly.

"We destroyed him..." Luke recalled with hushed tones. "We played a masquerade, and then we struck. When Palpatine was sure that Vader would defend him... he did not. I made the first blow, Va— my father, the second."

Xelar's face had hardened; his dark eyes watched Luke closely.

"So... in that little meeting back there... when you told the council that you came back from the Death Star alone..."

"I lied."

"You lied..."

Luke was silent, no longer looking at Xelar, but at the wall.

"You... lied..." Xelar rolled the words over his tongue, as if tasting them... savoring them. And then he laughed, his voice shattering the silence.

Just as abruptly as it started, the laughter stopped. "Where is he?"

Luke glanced at the other young man, an inquisitive eyebrow arched. "Why?"

Xelar stood; there was urgency in his stance. "Because, we need to bring him to Imperial Center. He must claim the throne."

Luke rubbed his eyes and groaned.

Xelar grabbed Luke by the shoulders firmly. "Skywalker, the Empire will break into chaos! The GALAXY will break into chaos!"

Luke looked up at Xelar, amused.

The stormtrooper rolled his eyes, releasing the other, muttering, "Rebel."

Luke smiled. "My part of the agreement entails that I follow my father for a time, if he chooses to go to Coruscant..."

"Imperial Center," Xelar corrected.

Luke ignored him. "I will go with him."

Xelar smiled.

Luke grabbed his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. "Come on, I informed Command I'd be leaving after that meeting, let's get out of here before they reconsider your performance."

Xelar gave Luke a mock-offended look as they stepped out the door. "What about _your_ story? You think they won't reconsider THAT?"

"Shut up, Xelar."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! They mean a lot to me! This story _is_ finished. There are five chapters in all, and all will be posted-- so, please don't worry!

oOo

CHAPTER TWO

Vader tapped his gloved fingers against the console of the small Imperial shuttle. It had been several days since Luke had left, insisting that he return to the Alliance fleet before going with him to his destination of choice. He smiled; he was greatly looking forward to the bond he would soon share with his son.

His Son.

He smiled once more as he felt the object of his thoughts rapidly approach; he set off to greet him.

oOo

Luke walked towards the ramp of the small shuttle as it lowered; his father must have sensed him. Xelar walked serenely at his side. The young trooper had Luke mildly puzzled; his interest in Luke's heritage was not something that could be ignored. _What did Xelar hope to gain tagging along with him?_

"Who is this?" Vader's rich voice broke through Luke's thoughts; he looked up to find his father looking down at them from the ship.

Xelar immediately stepped forward, falling into a military stance. He saluted smartly, "Trooper TX-127, Milord."

Vader regarded the trooper with interest. "Xelar Cometfaller."

Xelar could not conceal his shock. "You know my name, Milord?"

"I make it a point to know every man under my immediate command, in the case of the troopers escorting my son— I made no exception."

A look of pride crept slowly onto Xelar's features.

Luke suddenly brushed by Xelar and onto the ramp to board the shuttle. "I hate to break up the moment guys, but I think we'd better move."

Xelar followed, smiling at Vader respectfully as he approached. "Quite the kid you have there—"

Vader tilted his head slightly at the young man.

"Ah, Milord," he hastily added.

Vader watched his son's retreating form for a moment before turning back to Xelar.

"Yes... I know."

oOo

"What do you mean he's '_gone_'?"

"He requested leave after the meeting with Trooper Cometfaller," Borsk Fey'lya replied calmly to Leia's sharp question.

"There's something wrong about Cometfaller... the way he and Luke acted around each other— something was not right."

Fey'lya nodded. "Yes, we are aware of this," he didn't indulge who "we" encompassed. "That is why we allowed him the leave."

Leia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We're following him."

Leia's eyes widened at the other's words. "But Luke is on _our_ side! You'll risk his alienation?"

The Bothan looked up at Leia through his fur. "Luke Skywalker is not what he seems."

Leia paled a bit, then simply turned and left.

Fey'lya mistook it as Leia being offended by the treatment of her friend, not Leia's fear of how close the Alliance Command was to finding out her and her brother's secret.

_Wherever you are, Luke_..._ I hope you know what you're doing. _

oOo

Luke was on the losing side of a political debate.

Xelar and his father would not relent in their Imperial opinions, and he would not abandon his revolutionary ones.

"My son," Vader sat watching the young man pace across the gallery in frustration. "You must learn to perceive the entire picture— not simply the convenient aspects."

Luke stopped, pointing a finger at his father to emphasize his words. "The Empire is unjust."

Vader nodded slightly. "It was, I agree, under Palpatine, but that is why I asked you to help me overthrow him— to bring order to the galaxy."

"I remember those words too well, Father," Luke answered bitterly.

Xelar quickly glanced at Vader, fearful of what his reaction might be— but only saw a slight flinch from the Dark Lord.

"Why won't you turn from the Dark Side?" Luke was dragging the argument from politics back to religion, again. Xelar suppressed a groan.

"I've told you..."

"I don't know the power of the Dark Side," Luke recited.

"Do not mock me, Luke."

"I will not turn."

Xelar imagined Vader next saying, 'Come on, why not?' but his comic relief was soon shattered by Vader's actually words.

"We shall see."

The look Luke gave his father truly marked him as the Son of Vader.

Xelar stood and headed for the cockpit, he didn't want to be in the vicinity if lightsabers began to fly. The two hadn't actually dueled, but they had ignited their weapons once; and Xelar didn't want to be in the way if they did so again and were not satisfied by simply staring each other down.

He was surprised when Vader followed.

"How much longer to Coruscant?" the Sith asked softly as they entered the cockpit well out of Luke's range of hearing.

Xelar checked a reading. "Six hours. You ever gonna tell him where we're going?"

Vader shrugged, falling into the pilot's seat. "He hasn't asked."

Xelar smirked slightly at Vader's casual demeanor.

"Besides, I think he knows; he just won't accept it."

"Just like he won't accept who you are."

Vader nodded, both to Xelar's observation and his silent request to seat himself in the co-pilot's seat. The two had become very casual in their conversations during the past few days, but Xelar still remained respectful in his Lord's presence.

"Xelar?" Vader suddenly spoke.

"Yes, Milord?"

"What are your plans upon arriving at Imperial Center?"

Xelar frowned. "I haven't really thought about it. I suppose I will be returned to the infantry, be reassigned to a squad."

"Might I suggest an alternative?"

Xelar looked at Vader, taken aback. "Please do, Milord."

"Serve as a bodyguard to my son."

Xelar's eyes widened, as he tried to comprehend what Vader was saying, overwhelmed he simply said, "It would be an honor, Milord... an absolute honor."

oOo

Luke wasn't surprised in the least when the small shuttle came out of hyperspace over the city-planet of Coruscant. He sat quietly in the seat behind his father and watched as he maneuvered the ship towards the planet. Xelar's discomfort was easily apparent to Luke; the tense position of his shoulders and the attempts of subtle over-the-shoulder glances didn't make that a challenge. His father, on the other hand, was a much more difficult read. His stoic figure did not bother a glance in the younger Skywalker's direction. Luke's pondering was interrupted by a hail signal. Vader reached forward and activated the comm..

"Unidentified shuttle, this is Imperial Center Control, please state your name and destination."

Xelar and Vader exchanged glances; Luke leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.

_What would Leia think of me NOW? _He thought to himself as Vader ignored the traffic coordinator's request and simply stated a clearance code.

Dead air followed for a few seconds before the other finally replied, "Great Sith, the entire Empire thinks you're dead."

Vader leaned forward, a dangerous tilt in his posture. "Are all ICC officers so disrespectful?"

"Forgive me, Lord Vader!" came the hurried reply. "You are given clearance to land immediately... and..."

Vader turned his attention towards the descent of the shuttle, absently prompting the controller, "And?"

"Welcome back, Milord," the voice on the other end breathed.

Both Vader and Luke regarded the speaker in shock; Xelar only smirked. The stormtrooper then leaned forward, rescuing his baffled Lord. "Thank you, ICC, please inform the Palace of our arrival."

"Yes, sir."

The speaker then went silent as Xelar grinned at Vader. "Wouldn't he just die if he knew that he just called a Stormie 'sir'?"

As Vader brought the shuttle down for a perfect landing he said, "You are no longer a Stormtrooper, Cometfaller; remember that. Remember your purpose."

Xelar nodded seriously. "I will never forget it, Milord."

Luke watched the two uncomfortably. Before he could ask about this "purpose", his father turned to him and pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. "Keep your face concealed, son."

Luke nodded, unconsciously pulling the fabric closer to his face.

Xelar checked it himself, adjusting the hood yet again. He clasped his new prince on the shoulder and whispered, "Stay close, stay safe."

Luke pressed his lips together and looked away. Unable or unwilling to reply; he knew not which.

oOo

Leia stormed into her quarters, tears cutting through her eyes. The horrifying truth was worming its way through her, and she had to accept it or risk losing Luke; risk losing her brother. Han turned from the window at the far end of the room as she entered, he frowned and stepped forward.

"Leia? Are you okay?"

She fell willingly into his embrace, sobbing against his chest. He held her close, about to ask her what was wrong when she pulled away and looked up at him, her cheeks stained with tears, and her eyes rimmed red.

"I need to tell you..." she whispered, "The truth."

Han inhaled deeply, drawing in the scent of the silky hair against his cheek.

"You can tell me anything," his lips brushed against her ear. "You know that."

She closed her eyes and smiled, rubbing her palms against her face, wiping her tears.

"Luke didn't..."

Han watched her intently, allowing her all the time she needed.

"He didn't leave the strike team only because Vader could sense him."

Han frowned slightly. "Then why'd he go, Sweetheart?"

Leia pressed her lips together, her throat suddenly dry. "He... he went to save him."

"Save him? Save _who_?" Han's voice darkened, as he realized he might regret asking.

Leia's voice was but a meek whisper. "Vader."

"VADER!" Han's roar made Leia flinch away as fear raced through her... fear that she may have made the wrong decision.

Han grabbed Leia by the biceps gently, fear replacing anger in his eyes. "Why? _Why_?"

Leia cast her eyes downward, hiding her shame. "He went to save his father."

"His—" Han's voice died as his mind caught up with him. His eyes widened.

"Leia... You and Luke..."

"Are Vader's children."

Han simply stared at her for what felt like eternity as she choked back sobs of desperation.

Han swallowed his shock, fear, and anger in one gulp. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his cheek against her hair. "You have always been kinda intimidating."

Leia slowly pulled away, looking up at him. Suddenly she laughed. He joined her.

oOo

Luke kept his face in the shadows of his cloak as the trio strode into the Emperor's Court. He walked at his father's left, slightly behind him; Xelar matched his step at Vader's right. They strode into the prim atmosphere of the immense room, and Luke immediately felt like he was suffocating. The very air of the Imperial Court was enough to make him want to choke and run; but he suppressed the desire, he continued on.

Gasps sounded throughout the room as the figure of Darth Vader moved into their midst, they stepped back to allow him and his entourage through. As Vader came to the empty throne, he turned to face his audience, his cloak swirling at his feet dramatically. Xelar and Luke moved to each side of the throne; Luke kept his head low, his face hidden in shadow.

"I am the Emperor Vader," the deep voice sounded through the opulent room. "Pledge your allegiance or be gone."

Luke closed his eyes, wondering once again if he made the right decision.

oOo

Borsk Fey'lya leaned heavily on his elbows and steepled his fingers under his chin, he was pressing his lips into a tight line as he stared impassively at Han and Leia.

"Luke went to Coruscant," he spoke in a tight voice, his eyes never leaving the princess and smuggler-turned-general. "He went there with Vader."

Han stood, slamming his palms onto the table. "Vader's dead, for Sith-sake! Where are you getting this crap anyway?"

The Bothan didn't move. He stared at Han for a long moment before answering.

"Xelar Cometfaller."

Both Han and Leia gasped. "But he's an Imperial! How can you trust him?" Leia cried.

A cold sort of twinkle settled into the Rebel leader's eyes. "The Xelar Cometfaller that's sitting in the detention center: yes. Not the Xelar Cometfaller that one of our Special Ops. Agents is posing as at this very moment."

Leia's eyes grew inexplicably large.

Borsk Fey'lya remained cold, aloof.

"You..."

"We interrogated the true Cometfaller... properly... hours before that session you witnessed in this very room. We had our suspicions about the Imperial's story, so we decided to test it. I think Commander Skywalker's reaction gave a clear indication that our prisoner was indeed being forthright."

Leia couldn't move. She felt as if her blood had frozen in her veins. Her brother, her sweet brother, betrayed by the Alliance: the Alliance that they'd both risked their lives countless times for. She felt the warmth of a tear spilling over her cheek.

"Luke Skywalker will be dealt with," Fey'lya spat. "As for you, Leia Organa, and you, Han Solo, you are under arrest."

Both Han and Leia could do nothing but gape at the Bothan before them as they were surrounded by guards and bound.

"Borsk..." Leia moaned. "Borsk, how could you?"

The Bothan remained unmoved.

"We bugged your quarters, Leia."

A sob broke from the princess's throat. "Mon Mothma never would have done this! This is atrocious!"

"Mon Mothma is dead." Fey'lya stated coldly. "Killed by the Empire that your father has served for over two decades, and that your brother is pledging loyalty to as we speak." He turned his eyes to the datapad before him and scowled. "Get these traitors out of my sight."

oOo

Luke was sitting cross-legged on his bed, picking nervously at the satin comforter. Xelar stood at the window, looking out over the city, his hands clasp behind his back. The former stormtrooper was the picture of perfect calm, while the Jedi was a certifiable wreck.

Xelar turned suddenly from the window and frowned at Luke. "What's gotten into you? You're jumpier now than you were walking into certain death a few days ago."

Luke raised an eyebrow at Xelar, then shrugged. "I guess I didn't think things would be moving this fast."

Xelar snorted and walked over to the bed. "What could you have possibly thought Vader would do? Go on vacation? Of _course_ he was going to come straight here and claim the throne!"

Luke squirmed slightly under Xelar's hard gaze, hating that his naivety was once again on display. "I just... I just hoped..."

"That he'd suddenly no longer be one of the most powerful and commanding political presences that this galaxy has seen in decades? That he'd suddenly decide that he'd much prefer to retire on a nice jungle planet than rule the galaxy?"

Luke frowned up at Xelar. "You don't need to be a nerf about it."

Xelar sat down on the bed and peered closely at Luke for several moments until Luke began to shift uncomfortably under the gaze, but rather than relent, Xelar leaned forward and leered at the young Jedi.

"Have you even chosen a side, Skywalker?" he whispered.

Luke started. "Wha—what?"

"You turned on your Rebel friends..."

"I didn't—"

"And now you're backing off from supporting your own father as he tries to keep the galaxy from falling in on itself."

"I'm not—"

"When are you going to grow up and develop a backbone under that pretty skin of yours, Skywalker?"

Luke's jaw dropped as Xelar's expression darkened. Luke had a split second of screaming warning from the Force before Xelar sprang. The ex-stormtrooper slammed him back and pinned him under his body. His hands pushed Luke's shoulders into the pillows and he leaned down and sneered into Luke's face.

"See? You're not so tough, are you, traitor?"

Luke gasped, "What? What are you talking about! You're the one that wanted me to come here!"

Xelar smirked darkly. "Do you always listen to strangers, Luke?"

Luke's eyes widened and the Force began a deafening roaring chorus in his head: _Get Out_. He shoved at Xelar's chest with all of his strength, but the larger man merely laughed and grabbed both of Luke's wrists in one of his hands and pinned Luke's arms over his head. Xelar then sat up and smiled as he reached behind his back and drew a viroblade from a sheath hidden under his shirt.

Luke grasped at the Force with slippery mental fingers, but panic was washing over him and pushing away his control. He succumbed completely when Xelar brought the blade against his throat; he stilled, his eyes wide.

"Smart boy," Xelar said, and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "I want you to know, before I cut your Sith-Spawn throat, that you'll see your pretty little sister on the other side. My friends will be taking care of her treachery shortly, that is, if they haven't already."

A violent tremble ran through Luke's body. "Leia!"

Xelar smiled.

Luke closed his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the great comments!

CHAPTER THREE

Blotches of white spotted the inside of his eyelids. Blood rushed through his ears, making him feel as though he were underwater. Drowning. His breaths sounded like thunderclaps. His pulse pounded in his throat. He was going to die. He was never going to know his father's love. He was never going to know peace.

...and neither would Leia.

Luke could feel coldness welling up inside of him at the thought that his sister would die too. She had done nothing. She was innocent. But she would die, like everyone else, because of him.

First, he felt the viroblade leave his throat. He felt no pain. It must have happened quickly, he thought, I must already be dead.

But then he felt a thick, warm, wet drop on his cheek.

_What? _

"Open your eyes, Luke."

Luke blinked in shock and the room came into focus. The first thing he saw was Xelar's face, six inches from his own, his mouth slack and blood running from his nose. Another drop hit Luke's cheek: it was Xelar's blood. He gasped and pulled himself back on his elbows, Xelar's hands were slack now and they fell onto the bed as Luke pulled out from under them.

Luke glanced at the figure standing over him and said the only thing that he could put into words at that moment: "It took you long enough!"

Vader seemed vaguely amused as he waved his hand and Xelar's corpse slumped to the floor unceremoniously. "Pardon me for the inconvenience."

Luke's jaw dropped. "He was going to kill me!"

Vader tilted his head. "Luke, do you honestly think I could have brought a Rebel Special Ops. Agent all the way from Endor and not have noticed?"

Luke frowned. "How did you...?"

"Besides the Force screaming out to me? I know all of my special assignment troopers' names _and _faces."

Luke wiped at the blood on his cheek with his sleeve. "But— but why did you allow him to come all this way with us? And why did you leave him in here alone with me!"

"A lesson."

Luke balled his fists and clenched his jaw. "You. Must. Be. Joking."

Vader continued speaking as if Luke had said nothing. "Two very important lessons: do not presume that your life is not in grave peril at any given moment—"

"Gee, that's optimistic..."

"And your Alliance has betrayed you."

Luke was silent for several moments, his face drawn tight. Finally he spoke. "They misunderstood my actions."

"Oh? Then how do you explain your sister's predicament?"

Luke's eyes widened. "Leia!"

Vader nodded gravely. "Now, my son, I suggest we show your old comrades what a real war is."

Luke followed Vader quickly, casting a glance back at the crumpled body on the floor. "Why do you care anyway?" he asked bitterly. "Don't you just care about ruling the galaxy?"

Vader suddenly stopped and spun on his son, holding a finger in his face. "She's my daughter. Do not forget that."

He turned away from Luke and continued to storm down the corridor. "This war we wage against the Alliance now, it is yours and mine. It is not the Empire's. This has nothing to do with politics..."

He didn't complete his sentence. He didn't have to.

oOo

Hanging on the outskirts of the radar scope of _Home One_, father and son sat in silence and contemplated.

The entire Rebel fleet was in orbit around the moon of Endor, and even if it weren't, they still had little chance of smuggling an Imperial shuttle onto the Rebel flagship unnoticed.

Luke was slouched in his seat with his feet propped up on the console. Gnawing on a fingernail, he stared out the viewport at what once would have been a comforting sight. The shuttle had exited hyperspace under two minutes before, but the two occupants had immediately fallen silent. Luke was feeling nostalgic. Who would have thought he could have the same adventures with his father as he had had with Han, Leia, and Chewie? Reckless, impromptu, and likely to get one killed.

Vader made a small sound and glanced at Luke.

Luke looked over at him. "What?"

"Why do you have your boots on my console in that manner?"

"I'm relaxing."

"It seems to me that you are ruining the polish."

Luke pulled his feet down with a snort. "Shouldn't we be thinking about getting into there, not my chosen footrest?"

"Sit up. That posture makes me cringe."

Luke twisted his face up. "I'm serious, Leia is in danger!"

"And I have hailed the Imperial Fleet which has been waiting just outside of system for orders since the last battle."

Luke frowned at Vader. "When did you do that?"

"Just when we arrived."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"You didn't ask."

"I've been sitting here trying to think of a way to get in there!"

Vader shrugged. "It is good practice for you."

Luke scowled and put his feet back on the console.

Vader glanced at him. Suddenly, Luke fell out of his chair.

"HEY!"

oOo

"Sir!"

Borsk Fey'lya turned from the circle of officers he was addressing and raised an eyebrow at the breathless captain. He said nothing to him; he simply glared at him for his interruption.

"The-e," he stuttered and paused, caught his breath and continued, "The Imperial fleet has appeared on our scopes!"

The corner of Fey'lya's lip lifted. "They've come back for more, have they?"

"Sir!" the voice of the communications officer echoed across the bridge. "We have an incoming communiqué from the Star Destroyer _Vengeance_!"

The Bothan's fur rippled. "Patch it through."

A flicker of light, then particles collided to form the image of pristinely polished metal set over fathomless eye sockets.

"My Lord Vader, how interesting to see you breathing," Fey'lya snapped haughtily.

Ignoring the comment, the Dark Lord drew an ominous breath and spoke. "The funeral fires of our dead soldiers still smolder; let us not sully their memory with further bloodshed. I come to you with a peaceful proposition."

The Bothan snorted. "You? A peaceful proposition? I shall believe it when I see it, Vader." He spat his name, title-less, like a curse.

Another rasping breath, almost like the sigh of a patient parent speaking to an insolent child. "I wish to negotiate for the life of Leia Organa."

There was a short pause in which mumbling could be heard from a source out of sight.

"And the life of," Vader seemed to pause again fractionally, "Han Solo."

Borsk Fey'lya had his arms crossed now. "They are to be tried as traitors. I cannot negotiate their releases."

"What act of treason have they committed?"

He leaned forward and sneered, he looked as though he would like to spit on the holo of the Sith. "Consorting with _you._"

"I have not spoken with Leia Organa since we encountered one another on Bespin, and even then our conversation was... limited."

"She is guilty by association."

"I do not understand your logic, Bothan."

"You wouldn't. You understand only pain and death."

"And yet it is I entreating you to spare these lives."

"They are traitors!" he repeated, his voice shaking with rage.

"You have yet to tell me what treason they committed."

The Bothan glowered at Vader, his patience finally breaking. "She is your Sith-Spawn!"

"That is no act of treason," Vader replied, betraying nothing at the biased accusation.

"It is to us," he snarled.

Vader seemed to sit back a fraction. "Is it really? I am most curious then of your liberated vision of the galaxy."

He opened his mouth, but Vader cut him off.

"You have no ground on which to hold Han Solo. Allow me onboard to discuss the conditions of his release."

For a moment, Borsk Fey'lya looked ready to tear Vader's throat out with his teeth, but the look vanished into a calm and collected visage. "Very well. We will receive you in our docking bay, Lord Vader."

The transmission winked out.

"Are you crazy?" General Madine charged forward. "He'll kill us all!"

Borsk Fey'lya smirked. "The _Vengeance_'srange is about twenty minutes. We have that much time to prepare for the assassination of Darth Vader."

oOo

"Are you crazy? He's only letting you onboard so he can kill you!"

"I am aware."

"What?"

Vader had already grabbed the controls and was pushing the shuttle towards _Home One_. "He's going to be expecting us in a little over a quarter of an hour."

Luke stared at him with his jaw slightly slack for several moments. "Is that why you patched the call through that Star Destroyer?"

"Yes."

Luke was quiet for another thoughtful moment. "You didn't really need me to come, did you?"

"I'm sure you will be invaluable once we are onboard the Rebel vessel."

Luke bit his bottom lip. "You know, I can tell when you're lying!"

oOo

Han stared up at the blank ceiling of the cell. His shoulder blades were pressed sharply into the floor, his hands rested under his head. Leia was sprawled out on the metal slab attached to the wall over his head, her hand dangled in the air over his face. He heard Leia inhale and sniffle, then struggle to breathe normally.

"Leia?"

"Yeah, Han?"

"I'm sorry."

"So am I. He's... Han, he's dead, they've killed him, and they're going to kill you too. It's all my fault, I should have done something."

Han pulled himself up and sat next to the slab, looking up over its edge at the distraught woman. "Sweetheart, this ain't your fault. As far as I can see, the only one that's at fault here is that flea-ridden rodent and his crazy ideas... and maybe your dad, he caused a bit of trouble himself. And speaking of him, I wouldn't worry too much about Luke; if what Fey'lya said was true, then the kid has some pretty solid backup."

"Yeah," Leia acknowledged with a bow of her head. "He went with him... and didn't even tell us that he was alive."

"Leia..."

"He lied to me, Han."

"We wouldn't have let him go if we had known."

"Exactly."

A click sounded, interrupting them; they both looked at the door as it opened. Leia got to her feet and held Han's hand tightly as the door slid fully open and a figure stepped into view.

"Lando?"

Han's old friend smirked at him with his best cavalier smile. "I have it on good authority that a Sith Lord is going to be docking in our landing bay momentarily."

Leia's eyes widened. "Vader's here? Is Luke with him?"

Lando shook his head and stepped back as they came out of the cell. "I'm assuming so, but..."

"You didn't actually see him," Leia finished for him.

He nodded.

Han pressed his hand onto Leia's shoulder. "I'm telling you, Sweetheart, don't give up on the kid yet."

The princess drew a deep breath and nodded, hurrying down the hall behind Lando and Han.

"Wait!" she stopped and turned back, running to the end of the detention block.

"Leia," Lando shouted after her. "Leia, what are you doing? We don't have time!"

Leia skidded to a stop in front of the last cell and slammed her palm into the release control. She stood before the door as it opened, panting. When the door was fully open, she stepped forward cautiously.

"Just kill me," a gruff voice said. "I don't know anything more."

Leia approached the figure huddled in the corner and knelt, "Xelar?"

The young man jerked in shock, then turned his eyes towards the woman before him, he squinted his blackened eyes. "You're the princess, aren't you?"

She nodded. "I'm here to rescue you."

"I'm being rescued by a princess?"

She held out her hand and helped him up. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

oOo

"How is this possible? Tell me how this is possible!"

"Sir, he must not have been on the _Vengeance_ when the message was transmitted," a trembling lieutenant explained.

Borsk Fey'lya slammed his palm against the bulkhead; his claws scratched the metal, making everyone on the bridge cringe. "Just prepare, NOW! I want him dead the moment he steps foot on this ship."

oOo

Vader guided the shuttle onto the deck of _Home One_'s landing bay effortlessly. He left the shuttle on standby and rose from his seat, Luke's hand stopped him mid-motion. He looked down at his son, whose blue eyes were watching him intensely.

"Father, I have an idea."

oOo

Han helped Xelar navigate the corridors as quickly as possible, while Leia and Lando scouted a few paces ahead, ensuring their clear passage.

"They must all be in the landing bay," Lando murmured.

"Well, if I knew that Vader was landing on my ship, I'd have everyone in the landing bay too," Han remarked, shifting his arm supporting Xelar.

The stormtrooper frowned at Han. "You must be mistaken. Lord Vader was killed in battle."

Han smirked at the young man. "Boy, do you have a surprise waiting for you."

Xelar's mouth gaped open and he began to ask further about the battle when Leia waved her arm at them to be quiet.

"We're at the landing bay... and Vader's here too."


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the fantastic feedback! I hope you all forgive me as this fic screams towards its conclusion. Satisfaction can no longer be guaranteed.

CHAPTER FOUR

_I do not like this._

_Relax. This will throw them off long enough for you to slip through and get to Leia._

_No, it will not. You will have to face those armed and very disgruntled Rebels._

_I'm a Rebel, remember?_

_So was your sister, and she's waiting to be executed. She didn't lie about my death and run away with me to Coruscant either, let me remind you._

Luke pressed the ramp release and watched as the artificial light of _Home One_ filtered into the shuttle. The light was lost in the shadows of the hood shrouding his face. He pressed his lips together and placed his foot on the ramp.

_I do not like this._

_So you've said. So stop complaining and focus on helping me deflect any laserfire. Spooking them is the best chance we have at gaining the upper hand._

Vader was silent, making Luke's step almost falter.

_Father?_

_I think Leia and your smuggler friend have escaped._

_Why?_

_They're hiding by the entrance to the left._

_Oh._

Luke was now in the sights of over a hundred soldiers scattered throughout the landing bay. He bit back a curse. There were far too many directions to defend. He kept his head bent down and came to a stop at the bottom of the ramp, his cloak swaying at his feet.

"I wish to speak with Lord Vader," Borsk Fey'lya's voice echoed throughout the cavernous space. "Where is he?"

Luke tilted his head and swept his eyes over the landing bay. "Where are _you_?"

There was no response.

"You are not hiding, are you? The illustrious leader of the righteous Rebel Alliance, hiding?"

"Who are you, boy?" Fey'lya's terse voice replied.

Luke smiled.

oOo

"Can we get to the shuttle without them seeing us?" Lando asked.

Leia nodded, her eyes glued to the figure standing at the bottom of the boarding ramp.

"Wait," Xelar whispered. "You _want_ to go with Lord Vader? What the heck happened while I was in that cell?"

Han patted the young man on the shoulder. "We'll explain it all to ya when we get out of here," he crept up behind Leia and looked over her shoulder. "How'dya think we're gettin' out of here?"

"Him."

"Who?"

"Me."

Lando, Han, and Xelar turned around so quickly at the sound of the familiar voice that they almost fell over onto one another and blew their cover.

"Vader!"

The Sith Lord nodded from where he was crouched behind a stack of used fuel cells. He held up his right hand to indicate that he had them covered, and then waved them towards him with his left.

Han glanced at Leia. "Are you sure about this?"

"No, but he's the only one not trying to kill us right now, so I'm prepared to take my chances."

Han shrugged. "You've got a point."

The group crept across the open area between their cover and the Dark Lord, and breathed a sigh together as they were all concealed again behind tangible protection.

Han turned to the Dark Lord with his mouth open and finger raised, but Leia cut him off.

"Who is that?" she gestured towards the man taunting Borsk Fey'lya's cowardice.

Vader regarded the figure for a moment in silence before looking back at his daughter. "That's your brother."

Her eyes widened hopefully. "He's alive?" she whispered.

Vader nodded. "Did you honestly think I'd let him come to harm?"

Leia furrowed her brow, and opened her mouth.

Vader held up his hand. "Never mind. I'd prefer you didn't answer that."

oOo

Luke studied the soldiers positioned around him trying to probe them lightly. They were agitated by his appearance. Clearly they'd been ordered to kill Vader; they weren't expecting him, exactly as he had planned. Luke smiled. Now, he only hoped that he hadn't been labeled a traitor; likely Fey'lya had kept that quiet: he needed his martyred Jedi Knight.

He reached up to his throat, moving his hand slowly as not to excite any trigger-happy soldiers; he unclasped his cloak and let it fall around his feet. He stood silently, dressed all in black with his lightsaber hanging at his side, and allowed his former comrades to digest what they were seeing. He heard murmurs, and even heard his name. He kept his face passive and waited.

"Commander Skywalker!" Fey'lya's voice rang out again. "How wonderful to see you safe! Have you defeated Vader and returned to us?"

"The definitions of victory and defeat are now… complicated for me, Sir," Luke called back.

The troops shifted restlessly; Luke drew a deep breath and absorbed his surroundings. His father was shielding Han, Leia, and two others as they hurried to the shuttle. He kept his face expressionless as the four crept behind him and boarded the ship without notice. He felt his father stop behind him.

_Board the shuttle, father._

_You first._

"Where is he, Skywalker?" Fey'lya's voice spat from his hiding place.

Luke's eyes swept the immense room again.

_His voice sounds like it's coming from a speaker,_ Luke informed his father.

_Yes._

_If we disable it, he'll have no way to communicate with these troops, and they won't fire on me without a command._

Vader closed his eyes, and suddenly the satisfying sound of crushing metal echoed around the bay.

Luke smirked. _Very nice. Now get out of sight. _

_You're an insolent child,_ Vader snapped, but moved up the ramp anyway.

_Thank you._

_I'm only doing this because you'll be caught in the crossfire if they fire at me._

_I wasn't thanking you for boarding the shuttle; I was thanking you for noticing my finest feature._

Finally alone, Luke let his eyes meet those of his former comrades and friends. He looked at them sadly, apologetically.

"I know that to some of you the events that will follow this day will never make sense. You will feel confused, betrayed, and angry; indescribably angry. I ask you to try to look at tomorrow with new eyes. Try to not judge with your old prejudices in place… And try to forgive me. I'm only doing what I think is best for all of us."

His audience was silent, but he could feel the Force swirling around him. He'd touched them. They'd heard him, and perhaps they wouldn't feel quite so desolate when their Jedi hero is crowned prince of Vader's new Empire.

He took a step back and held up his hand, sending a wave of calm and reassurance towards the confused mass of soldiers with their weapons half raised. Caught up in his first moment of inspiring an audience, Luke missed the one soldier with an earpiece wired to his helmet. He missed the whispered command.

But he did not fail to notice the blaster bolt that slammed into his shoulder, nor his back slamming into the durasteel ramp as he fell. He stared straight up at the lights hanging over him, counterfeit stars blinding him as his consciousness began to slip away.

Then there was black, and a terrible roar. Luke felt the tender touch of fabric against his cheek and blinked; the darkness was not oblivion, it was his father's cloak. His father who was standing over him with his red blade unsheathed to defend him.

"Father…" he whispered, as he was lifted and dragged up the ramp.

oOo

Vader felt nothing but pure fury. He let the euphoria of the rage wash through him, then he ignited his blade and waited for the volley of fire to come. Luke was right, where the soldiers were hesitant and unsure with how to handle Luke, they were single-minded in dealing with Vader. They wanted him dead, and every Rebel in the landing bay showed that sentiment with vigor. The onslaught was unrelenting, and Vader's Force-shield and lightsaber could only block so many before…

One got through.

Two got through.

Three – four – five – six….

Vader fell to his knees, and then to the floor.

oOo

"FATHER!"

"Luke, no!" Leia clutched her brother tightly. "There's nothing we can do!"

Luke struggled against her as the Rebels began to fire upon their father. She couldn't bring herself to fear for him, but her heart broke for her twin shaking in her arms. When Vader was hit the first time, they both gasped, and Leia felt the tears begin to fall as he was hit again, and again.

And then the Sith Lord was on his knees.

It was a whisper and a roar all at once, but it was on Luke's lips as he watched his father fall:

"No."


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the wonderful reviews! And thanks for reading! (Yes, this is the final chapter!)

CHAPTER FIVE

"Don't leave him!"

"Strap him in! He's agitating that blaster wound."

"You can't leave him!"

Han turned in the pilot seat and leveled a glare at his young friend. "Luke, he wouldn't want you to die picking up his body. Sit down."

Luke drew a deep, but broken, breath. He was in his sister's arms, shaking. He felt nothing but blind panic. This wasn't right. This was not what was supposed to happen.

Darth Vader— his father— was not supposed to die.

He was supposed to save him. He wanted to save him.

"Why?"

The last broke from his thoughts and issued from his throat as a choked moan. He went limp, and allowed Lando and Leia to strap him into a seat.

As the shuttle bolted from _Home One_ towards the Star Destroyer _Vengeance, _Luke stared at the scuffmark his boot had left on the polished console.

And felt nothing.

oOo

The ramp wasn't even fully extended when Xelar screamed from it for a medic. Leia thought it ironic that he was calling so frantically for help for Luke, when he looked as though he could use a week long stay in the medi-bay himself. She pressed her hand against Luke's chest and just watched his blank expression as a medic sprinted up the ramp and knelt beside him.

"Blaster wound?"

She nodded.

"This is his only injury?"

Leia pressed her lips together. "He may be in shock. He just watched his father die."

"Wh-what?"

Leia turned to regard the voice behind her; an admiral, she could tell from the bars adorning his chest.

"Lord Vader is dead," she said softly.

The medic and admiral paused, seemingly frozen, and then both sprung into action. The medic was checking Luke over like he was a delicate child and the admiral was suddenly kneeling next to the medic, staring into Luke's face.

"Highness, can you hear me?"

Leia started. "What did you just call him?"

The admiral looked up at her with hard eyes. "Emperor Vader left clear instructions. His son was his heir."

Luke broke out of his stupor and narrowed his eyes at the admiral. "He left such instructions?" His voice was low, but held a tight edge to it.

The admiral lifted his chin, a reaction clearly sculpted by years of service in the Imperial Navy. "He did, Highness."

Luke's expression darkened. "He knew."

"Pardon, Highness?"

Suddenly Luke rose; he brushed the medic away from him like a fly and stormed from the shuttle. "Admiral!"

The admiral hurried to Luke's side, struggling to keep up. "Yes, Highness?"

"Bring me to the bridge. Prepare to engage the Rebels."

The admiral nodded and directed him to the lift. As the doors parted, Leia yelled to him from the ramp of the shuttle.

"Luke! What are you doing? What about the things you said to those soldiers? What about starting anew?"

Luke looked over his shoulder at his sister, fury ablaze in his eyes. "They killed my father. All amnesty they would have had is now void."

"Luke!"

The lift closed on her cry.

oOo

Admiral Tulsa watched Luke Skywalker pace the bridge out of the corner of his eye. The young man was a whirlwind of furious energy. He would look up from his frantic inner musings every time a ship was destroyed. The young man always looked a split moment before a ship broke apart, as if he somehow sensed the impending death. Then he would continue his pacing. He ignored the sobs of his sister against the chest of her friend. The former Rebels were gathered at the back of the bridge, well out of the way, and subtly guarded by Trooper Cometfaller.

The trooper had refused his new emperor's leave to visit the medi-bay while enroute to the bridge. Instead, he had fallen into step next to the young man and introduced himself. At the introduction, Luke Skywalker's step had faltered, and he looked over Cometfaller with a critical and almost wary eye.

"You have been held by the Rebels since the battle?" the emperor asked.

Cometfaller nodded. "Yes, highness. I apologize if any of the information revealed during my interrogation endangered you. I had no idea of its significance."

Skywalker pressed his lips together: thoughtful, grim. "There is no need for regrets now, Cometfaller."

Cometfaller reached the doors to the bridge and activated the release. He stepped back and bowed, indicating that Skywalker should precede him. As the young man walked past the stormtrooper, he paused, and glanced over his shoulder at his three friends following at a distance. "Keep them out of the way, would you, Cometfaller? I don't think they'll understand."

Cometfaller bowed lower. "I will do as you command, my emperor."

Skywalker nodded and stepped onto the bridge as the admiral issued the command to engage the Rebel fleet. Cometfaller turned his gaze towards the approaching trio, one of which had saved him from his cell, and knew that the young emperor was right: they wouldn't understand what needed to be done.

The sob that escaped the princess as the first Rebel ship was reduced to rubble confirmed his misgiving.

oOo

It was like a dark cloud rolling forth from the Star Destroyer _Vengeance_:_ a_ wave of Dark Side energy sweeping across space to consume everything in its path, swift and terrible anger reaching forward to decimate every last remnant of the Rebel Alliance.

All according to plan.

Vader smiled darkly as he witnessed his son's full fury and might. His fleet was mercilessly destroying everything that Luke Skywalker ever stood for, and being led by that very man.

Vader kept his stolen shuttle well out of range, watching and waiting.

He didn't have time to coax his son from his idealistic shell, and so he'd been forced to break his son's innocence in a less than gentle manner.

And the Rebels had played into it so well.

First, torturing Xelar Cometfaller and replacing him with a Special Ops. Agent, then giving that agent the order to eliminate Luke Skywalker. He had dampened Luke's Force senses so that he could neither sense the danger nor defend himself, but the agent recklessly taunting Luke by telling him that his sister would die as well could not have been better if he had planned it himself. He had, of course, issued the Force suggestion into the mind of the Rebel soldier who had fired on Luke, and ensured that the wound would not be fatal. The final piece of his plan fell into place when Luke witnessed the Rebels "killing" him, the father that Luke was so desperate to save. Projecting an illusion of himself falling under the Rebels' fire while he stole a small shuttle had been child's play.

It was all perfect.

And now Luke knew the power of the Dark Side.

Vader watched as a well placed missile caused _Home One _to break apart from the inside and scatter across the vacuum of space.

It was time. He set his course for the _Vengeance._

oOo

"My Emperor!"

Luke turned from the viewport where he had watched the complete destruction of his past and regarded the admiral standing behind him. He said nothing, merely raising his eyebrow in inquiry.

"There is a shuttle that has just come within range."

Luke turned fully from the viewport, his stance suggesting that the man should explain— quickly.

"It is a Rebel shuttle, but it is transmitting Imperial codes..."

Luke's eyes widened. "High ranking codes?"

The admiral drew a deep breath, knowing that if he raised the hopes of the boy and this turned out to be a false— he'd likely be dead within the hour.

He nodded, and watched the fiery anger that had burned in the young man's eyes fade to be replaced with a mixture of hope— and horror.

"Your Highness..."

Luke shook his head and headed for the lift. "Allow the shuttle to land... I... I will..."

The door closed between the admiral and the young man, but not before the admiral saw the look of utter defeat on the boy's face.

oOo

Luke was trembling in every inch of his body as the shuttle landed. He could clearly sense the presence of his father aboard. The craft settled and the ramp began to extend, and a wave of guilt washed over Luke, leaving him breathless.

He'd abandoned his father. He'd left him for dead.

He'd left him.

He fell to his knees as Vader emerged from the shuttle and began his descent. Luke bowed his head and felt tears pool in his eyes and race down his cheeks.

"I have failed you," he whispered as his father stopped before him.

A hand clasped his chin and brought his face up. Vader was crouched before him, staring into his eyes.

"No. You did beautifully, son."

"I left. I could have saved you!"

"I am fine."

"But..."

"Luke," Vader took his son by the shoulder and guided him to stand. "You have made me proud. You are truly my heir."

Vader pressed his hand into Luke's back and steered the young man towards the lift. They passed Xelar Cometfaller who had followed the young man from the bridge, never failing in his duty to be at the young Skywalker's side while Vader was unable to be. Vader met the stormtrooper's eye and nodded discretely: the man had played his role very well. He would be rewarded handsomely. Allowing himself to be captured and tortured by the enemy in order to reveal certain truths to the right ears was no small feat.

Vader looked down at his son and smiled. The boy was numb, dazed, confused, and steeped in the Dark Side. No matter how much Vader reassured him, he'd always blame himself for leaving his father for dead. He'd live the rest of his life trying to atone for his mistake. He would never know calm; only anger, guilt, frustration.

Only the Dark Side.

Perfect.


End file.
